THE FIRST RESIDENTS OF SAMPLE RUN

When the town of Clymer came into being when new coal mines were opened in the area in 1905, the first families who lived in Sample Run consisted mostly of men who worked in nearby coal mines and their families.

Long before that, however, from about 1837, there was a grist mill that was owned and operated by a Mr. John Howearth that was located below Second Sample Run alongside Two-Lick Creek. (John passed away in 1853 and his son, James, operated the mill.) A grist mill ground grain into flour through the use of millstones - circular stones flat on each side with the grain placed between the stones. The stones were probably propelled by a mill wheel, which is a waterwheel that was most likely placed in Two-Lick Creek where the water was deeper and flowed at a rapid pace. Though the grist mill no longer exists, it was reported that the millstones lay in the weeds near Two-Lick Creek for years. (For all we know, they might be still buried under the dirt and vegetation.)

In 1866, James Howearth constructed a sawmill on the site of a previous one built by a Samuel Howe. Howearth's Mill (also Howe S. Mill) is clearly marked on an 1871 map as in the First Sample Run neighborhood; however, the mill was most likely located also near Two-Lick Creek, because water power would have been required to turn the saw to cut lumber. Another family eventually took over the mill and it was then known as "Oberhelman's Mill." It also had the nickname of "old red mill," and it was still standing in 1907 when a streetcar line was built. (Like all buildings, it probably decayed and was either abandoned or torn down.) J. W. Davis, a blacksmith, had a shop in the early days near Howearth's mill. (Think of a blacksmith as a mechanic who serviced horses and wagons.)

Samuel Howe, one of the earliest settlers in this region, is said to have purchased 2,000 acres of land (extending from Wandin to Clymer) at $1.25 per acre. His home was called the "peaked house" because of some peculiarity about the roof construction. (He may have not wanted snow to accumulate in winter.) Mr. Howe was an important man in the early days of Sample Run. More about him later.

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